Rough Week for Shaloom

My organization just had a bit of a hard week. It's nothing that's really affecting what I'm doing, but it's tough on the staff. The biggest overall problem continues to be lack of adequate financing. On Wednesday, it was time to distribute beans and soap to our HIV-positive clients for the month of June. Shaloom used to donate 4 kilos of beans and 1 bar of soap to each person. However, recent money problems have reduced that to 2 kilos of beans and only 1/2 a bar of soap. But this week was even worse because for some reason there was not even enough money to give soap. Therefore, people only received 2 kilos of beans for the entire month. It was sad to see how disappointed everyone was. In fact, some people were angry (only 2 people out of 250 said thank you when they got their beans). The other sad thing is that Shaloom has around 1000 clients but only 250 are enrolled in this beans/soap program. The finances are just not available, so hopefully this grant I'm writing will be accepted and they can start a more comprehensive nutrition program.

The money problems appear to date back several months--when there was a different care coordinator running the show. Since then, she's been fired and they now have a new coordinator and accountant. Nevertheless, they recently discovered that there was a $3000 withdrawl from the bank a few months ago and that money is still unaccounted for. Needless to say the benefactors from Europe are not pleased with this news and they want it resolved quickly. They've put a hold on the money they've donated until the whole thing is sorted out. In the meantime, it's hard on the staff at Shaloom. They were supposed to get their paychecks at the beginning of the month, but there's no money in the bank for that. Furthermore, there isn't even money to fill our vehicle up with gas, so some of the staff have to find other means of getting around. We're all hoping things get better soon, but in the meantime we're still carrying on as normal.

Other bits of bad news have to do with the health of some of my co-workers and their families. One staff member who works at our youth center had a bad week because his pregnant wife has been sick with malaria. She was three months pregnant and unfortunately lost the baby this week because of the malaria. Also, our care coordinator's roommate (who helped pick me up from the airport) fainted in his home early in the week. They're not sure what caused him to faint, but he hit his head really hard and had to be taken to the hospital. He's still not feeling better and they're not sure what's wrong. The doctors want to do a CT scan, but the one that they have in Mwanza is currently broken so now he needs to get to Dar es Salaam or Nairobi. It's definitely not easy being sick here.

But with all of that not-so-good news I can reassure you that I am doing just fine. I'm writing my grant and still helping out around Shaloom with whatever I can. Plus, I ventured over to the Chinese restaurant in town yesterday and had a really tasty lunch. Once again my stomach was happy to have something other than Tanzanian food. Tonight I'm going over to a Canadian couple's home for dinner, so I'll probably have another good meal today. :)

I'm wishing everyone is doing well back home! Take care!

-Ben